by Gary Paulsen
Amazon Description:
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present - and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parents' divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair - it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.
My Thoughts:
Although I only recently read this wonderful middle grade novel, it won a Newbery Honor award in 1988. It reminded me of Jack London's The Call of the Wild or Jean Craighead George's Julie of the Wolves - both also award-winning novels. A story of survival, Hatchet is written with all of the twists and turns you would expect from an adventure children's book. In addition to being inspirational, it includes a reading study guide with worksheets for middle school teachers and their students. I would highly recommend Hatchet to readers from the ages of eight to twelve.
Click here to learn more about the author, Gary Paulsen: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/about.html
